Commenter

Jenny Lee-Adrian

Latest Comments

@sarar I think it's obvious why Chris P. Beycon is apprenticing in a restaurant. She wants to learn how to cook. The thing about working in a restaurant is eventually you improve no matter how much you suck in the beginning. As for confidence-> not everyone gains confidence at the same pace. I understand how Chris feels because I remember being a scared intern in a restaurant.

Hi Chris P. Beycon. This brings back memories of my kitchen internships. I'm guessing you're in culinary school or a recent grad. I remember being scared of everything. It takes time to build confidence. You'll eventually get there. You'll develop a wicked sense of urgency, and find you can mince a quart of shallots in no time at all. Today's debut column was entertaining and funny. As a former newspaper reporter turned line cook, I think some people might wonder did you intend to write about your kitchen experience before you got hired? Is your goal to be a food writer? But as someone who writes, I understand sometimes the experience is so compelling that you can't help but write about it. That said, I want to read the next installment.

As a former newspaper reporter who went to The French Culinary Institute, I can relate to Lauren Shockey's career path. But as a line cook, I was disappointed in the premise of the book. Yes, it's great that she went to different places and worked at famous restaurants, but she only worked at each restaurant for 3 months, AND she was merely a stage/unpaid intern. Although she was a dedicated worker, each situation was temporary. If Shockey had worked a year at each restaurant going from appetizers to grill to fish station, then I would have gotten a better picture of what it's really like to work at these restaurants.

I liked Alton Brown's show because he explained why something cooked the way it did. He's been doing Good Eats for a very long time. It's not surprising that he wants to move on. I don't think everyone thinks Alton is a culinary god. But he definitely knows his stuff.

Hi Kayla, I'm not sure how often you check your blog's email address, but I sent you an email. I used to be an intern for SE and I compiled a list of all past "In Season" topics, which would probably help you (unless you already have a list.

I have not read the book. But Ben Ryder Howe's mother-in-law is probably very much like my Korean father. My husband, who is Caucasian, could probably relate to Howe because my husband also had to get used to my father's stubbornness and irrational logic. But we do not live with my parents.

@piccola Vegetarian kimchi isn't as hard to find as you think. I was surprised a few brands were vegetarian after looking at the ingredients on the packaging. Chongga, King's Spicy Kimchi and Sunja's are vegetarian.

@Kanger Sometimes I've gone into Han Ah Reum (H mart) in K-town and seen "No MSG" stickers on Tobagi Whole Cabbage Head Kimchi that is sold in large containers. But you're right, the already cut cabbage kimchi that is sold in jars does contain MSG.

There are so many pros and cons to going to culinary school or going straight to work in a restaurant. If you go to culinary school like I'm doing now, you get to learn the basics all in one place in a short period of time, and you can take advantage of all the career connections the school offers. The downside is the cost. It might take you a very long time to pay off your loans.

If you work at a restaurant, you don't have to pay the high tuition, but you have to be willing to work for very little pay. Even if you work at a restaurant right away, it doesn't mean you'll learn how to cook a medium-rare steak; you might be stuck making sandwiches. You need to find places that are willing to teach you. I met a pastry chef who didn't go to culinary school and learned a lot from chefs in Paris. Her desserts were amazing.

For someone like me, I knew I would combine writing and food, and I don't regret my decision to pay a lot of money to go to school. I'm pretty happy interning at Serious Eats, while I'm going to The French Culinary Institute. I have classmates who have worked in restaurants for many years, but are now at culinary school because they believe a degree will help them move up. However, they are between 22 and 30 years old.

I agree with others that you should stage or trail at a restaurant before you enroll in school. But before you do that, you need to get a good set of knives, learn basic knife skills from how-to videos and learn how to sharpen your new knives. If you come to a restaurant with dull knives, you are toast. Be hard on yourself. How realistic are your dreams to become a world-class chef? What do you really want to get out of culinary school, and what other culinary careers would you consider doing?